Picking Up the Pieces
by Tr3adst0ne
Summary: A one shot I submitted for the Allspark contest when Kup first met Hot Rod during the earlier days of the Cybertronian Wars.


**Picking Up the Pieces  
Written by Tr3adst0ne**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. It is solely the property of IDW/Takara/Hasbro.**

**Summary: Kup recalls a mission back on Cybertron where he first met Hot Rod.**

**Rating: K for friendship.**

**Author's notes: Slight blend of G1/IDW G1. A friendship/drama story. Couldn't think of anything action-oriented for this one.**

**Earth  
Present day**

Hot Rod and Kup were deployed alongside a detachment sent to the city of Kinshasa to aid in the reconstruction efforts of this massive community. After the last raid incurred by the Decepticons upon the manufacturing plant adjacent to the metropolis, the Autobots scrambled troops with supplies to assist the displaced population. One of the teams, consisting of Hoist, Grapple, and Inferno ferried construction materials to lay down the foundation of new buildings for those who have lost their homes in the chaos of the attack. The Africans, hesitant at first, welcomed the alien soldiers and understood the gesture of good faith.

The children from the city roamed freely out in the open, with beady eyes that glossed over the tall mechanical forms of the Transformers. Here, the Autobots were not feared. They were seen as, oddly enough, gods among men. Hot Rod was astounded at their fascination regardless of the simplistic nature of the people. Being in the midst of a such an amiable group warmed his spark greatly. He spotted a small toddler prodding about towards his direction before he tripped on a rock pebble. Hot Rod kneeled down and lended a hand to bring the child back on his feet. The toddler clasped one of his digits and cooed aloud in joy.

"Easy there, little buddy. Say, this remind you of anything, old timer?" asked Hot Rod.

"You know, this day actually reminds me of a certain time back on Cybertron...," the older soldier paused, reminiscing on memories of the homeworld.

"Well? Go on," the younger Autobot gestured, wanton to know of the details. In spite of Kup's advanced age, the many stories he told bore merit to the present. Even though he considered Hot Rod to be an impulsive soldier who acted before thinking, the lad possessed respectable attributes that showed potential, such as his genuine compassion for the safety and welfare of the people under their care, and his general persistence for fighting what is right.

"It was the first time when we crossed paths... After the battle back in Uraya...," Kup began as he scratched his chin pensively.

---****

Cybertron  
Four million years ago

The craggy terrain of the Urayan Plains were no different than the rest of Cybertron. War-torn, devoid of life. It was all the same to him, a veteran of thousands of battles. Ice blue optics surveyed the horizon beyond, where hundreds of Cybertronians, Autobot and Decepticon alike lie scrapped. Toppled spires and wrecked buildings were a testament to the battle that recently took place. Traces of energy weapons and massive craters held plenty of evidence from the aftermath when the dust settled.

The words of the mission echoed constantly in his neural processor: "Search for any survivors," Prowl said.

_Easier said than done_, the elder Wrecker thought bitterly at the notion.

Overhead the skies were darkened by the presence of one of Cybertron's twin moons.

Thousands of stars dotted the space beyond as Kup gazed in admiration. It was moments like this which helped Kup appreciate the temporary peace, however fleeting it was, and reminded him of what the Autobots were fighting for.

The years took a toll on the aged soldier. He participated in many missions, mostly police actions where those who violated the law were imprisoned. The bots that he usually took in were guilty of minor infractions: robbery, vandalism, bar fights and viewing illegal gambling events such as the underground fighting circuit which Megatron himself is famous for. However, there were certain instances in which select criminals were so vile they had to be terminated via spark g-force compactors. The list of offenses that accompanied their records were beyond mention. Murder, weapons racketeering, bribing and extortion were just a few. Such a vile lot were a threat to the safety of the common people.

War was a different phenomenon altogether. It claimed both innocent and guilty alike, and did not differentiate between good or bad intentions. A recollection of Megatron's speech from Kaon surfaced in Kup's mind. The Decepticon leader preached in the purification of Cybertron by wiping out the stench of corruption that plagued the various sectors of the state governments was the ultimate goal. Of course, while members of the Cybertronian population admitted in their sparks that while there was a certain level of wickedness and greed that plagued the upper levels of the planet's hierarchy, others wondered if the former gladiator-turned ruthless general was pushing things too far.

Nobody knew who really started the fighting, only that it began in swift bloodshed. Fingers were pointed left and right, one side trying to shift blame on the other. What started as a war between right and wrong devolved into a battle for basic survival. Territories were claimed and surrendered, with great cities reduced to piles of ashen debris.

And still the innocents get caught up in the middle.

Several parsecs ahead of Kup an advance team of scouts were patrolling the adjacent sector within his general area of responsibility. From what he saw a trio of hovercraft sped towards his position at high speed. The teal-skinned bot folded his arms as the three mechs quickly shifted into their robot forms. Tailgate, Swerve, and Outback moved as one and stood before him. They were all trained under Kup's wing. Like others before them, they were rugged, dependable, and brave in the face of combat.

Tailgate was the first to speak up. He shook his head as an indicator to the older Autobot of the results of their mission.

"Keep trying."

"But we've been looking for more than thirty cycles," the smaller soldier insisted. "It's a barren wasteland out there!"

"Keep trying anyway. There must be someone that survived this whole mess."

"I'm telling you, boss. There's nothing out there."

"I would rather keep trying knowing that we at least founded a bot that's online than leave empty-handed," Kup admitted to his companion.

Kup dared to hold hope. He wasn't in a mood to surrender to the idea that there was no one left alive. Springer and Whirl were overhead conducting thorough scans for any energy signatures that stood out of place.

Fifty cycles have passed since the initial search began. The results of the mission remained fruitless in spite of the rescue team's best efforts. When word passed that the confrontation with the Decepticon forces grew steadily worse, the Wreckers were getting ready to withdraw and regroup with another friendly unit in preparation for an impending Seeker air raid on a supply dump. However, just as they were about to pull out, Kup heard an audible buzz that rung through his neural processor. The excited voice of Tailgate caught him by surprise.

"Kup, we found one! Under one of the debris fields!"

Kup raced onto the scene where Tailgate was located. The latter pointed to a pile of wreckage at the base of the plains several more parsecs out. Both immediately dashed forward to the site and slid down the nearest slope accompanied by Swerve and Outback. Upon their arrival, Tailgate was already on the scene assisting a downed Autobot who struggled to get himself back up. The optics in the damaged mech's head flickered as Kup and Tailgate used their strength to hoist him back on his feet. From what they saw the bot was battered and weakened, his external armor had scratches and burns all over, while diagnostics on his internal systems revealed that he was barely functioning.

"You alright?" Tailgate asked.

"Hardly...," was the reply, barely audible to the point where Tailgate leaned to hear the voice.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Ho-- Hot Rod," the younger bot answered weakly.

"Hot Rod, huh? Sounds like a name with a youthful streak. Are you able to stand?" Kup inquired with genuine concern.

"I think so. Servo's all worked up. Those 'Cons really did a number on us over here," the flame patterned Autobot said before he groaned in pain. The younger Cybertronian's optics flickered once more before he fell forward in a daze where his world turned into a sea of white. It was clear to everyone present that the kid spiraled into stasis-lock, his frame functioning through low energy output.

"Whoa! We gotta get him to a repair bay," Swerve suggested.

"Right. Call in the transport for evac and have the rest of the team get ready to move out," Kup instructed, before he turned his attention back to the subject of their care.

---****

Assault Ship _Trion_  
En route to Polyhex

"How's the lad faring?" Kup asked Swerve as he observed First Aid opposite of the glass window pane operating on Hot Rod's exposed laser core, which housed a still pulsating spark. Though the rest of his body wasn't as fortunate. After the chaos endured from the Decepticon siege, one is left to wonder how the mech managed to prolong his life in the sorry state that he was in.

"We were lucky we got to find him at all. That kid was running on low energon levels for quite a while. It's a miracle he even managed to survive that mess," Swerve replied curtly. "Word from First Aid is he's going to be fine, but he's not going to be online for a while."

"I see," Kup said as he nodded.

"Kup, Springer here. Command wants us to sweep out the Decepticons that are encroaching upon the Kalis Front."

"What's our estimated time of arrival?" Kup inquired.

"Approximately thirty cycles from now."

The time frame made Kup tilt his head from side to side. The intensity of the attacks across Cybertron baffled him. It was no surprise that the Decepticons wholly committed themselves to the destruction of those who dared to oppose them. Police units such as the Wreckers were called upon to assist the various city state militias in repelling the attacks. Considering the situation at hand, they were going to need all the help they can get.

"Will wonders never cease... All right, prep the squad for the upcoming mission in the arms room. I'll be heading down there shortly." Kup ordered before he prepared himself to head to the ship's weapons locker. "Swerve, I would like you to stay and keep an eye on Hot Rod while we're gone."

"Don't you need me to accompany you on the field?"

"There's more than enough of us Wreckers to handle the 'Cons alongside the rest of the

regulars. Besides, the lad could use some company once he gets back up," the elder bot smiled before he left farther into the interior of the ship to prepare himself for the combat ahead.

**Earth  
Present day**

"Yeah, I still remember that time as well. And I'm glad that you came when you did, otherwise I would've been long gone," Hot Rod recalled kindly of the senior mech.

"Keep acting like the reckless motorhead that you are and you'll never reach my age," the older warrior curtly reminded to his younger cohort.

"You know, I never got the opportunity to thank you that day."

"You don't have to. We had to take care of business right after we got you back in friendly territory. Besides, that's what friends are for, right?" Kup insisted as he glared back into the heavens above. White clouds billowed the blue atmosphere before the distant emission of spacecraft engines caught his audio receptors.

Around the pair, additional personnel assigned to the Earth detachment carried wooden logs to assist the local population in rebuilding their homes. It was the least the Autobots could do in gradually earning the trust of the people that lived on this continent. Kup raised his arm to shield his optics from the sunlight until another shuttle descended from the air with food and medical supplies in store for the beleaguered humans.

While the universe had its share of bad days, there were also plenty of good ones. The future ahead always held promise for better times to come.

**The End**


End file.
